LGBT People Fear For Their Lives, Ugandan President Signed Law Sentencing Same-Sex Relationships By Life Imprisonment

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni signed the bill which sentences any same-sex relationship by up to life imprisonment into law.

One month ago, its Nigerian counterpart signed a similar law in his country, since violence towards the LGBT community in Nigeria does not cease increasing and it could happen the same thing in Uganda.

"Experience from other jurisdictions with similarly draconian laws, such as Nigeria or Russia, indicates that their implementation is often followed by a surge in violence against individuals thought to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender," the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission said in a statement. "The Ugandan government has not indicated any plans to counter such violence or to investigate potential allegations of abuse."

In an interview, the Minister for Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo did not stop himself from saying that the government was "tolerant" towards LGBT people because they are not "slaughtered." He even added that to be gay was like being addicted to drugs and that the government was going to help them:

"We are tolerant. That’s what we are saying: we are not slaughtering them," he said in the video posted on The Independent.

"They can come and be helped to come out of this unfortunate situation… It’s like a drug addict. Drug addiction is not an innate situation, it is acquired. But they can be transformed and become better.

"So we are saying anybody found committing this incredible and abominable act should be checked and isolated from society.

"If you are found practising it, we shall take you to a cell."

Earlier, UN, as several Presidents, had urged President Yoweri not to sign this bill into law worried to see Ugandan people backtracking in the fight against AIDS because, as reports Skynews, the law could have serious health implications because gay people facing criminal charges are less likely to seek medical help.

It would seem besides that they begin to flee Uganda and try to find refuge in countries bordering on Uganda like Kenya but some hope, despite everything, to continue the fight.

"We are going to stay around and fight on. We are going to challenge (the law) in court," says Wamala.

Let's be honest, it is almost impossible to currently repeal this law.

There would be about ten LGBT activists who would have fled Uganda but the list could get longer in the newt weeks because the newspaper 'The Daily Monitor' published a list of names, and sometimes with a picture, which it called the country's "200 top" gays. It's like a manhunt.

This newspaper had already released a similar list in 2011 and following this, gay activist David Kato was killed.